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Differential privacy, a cornerstone of privacy-preserving techniques, plays an indispensable role in ensuring the secure handling and sharing of sensitive data analysis across domains such as in census, healthcare, and social networks. Histograms, serving as a visually compelling tool for presenting analytical outcomes, are widely employed in these sectors. Currently, numerous algorithms for publishing histograms under differential privacy have been developed, striving to balance privacy protection with the provision of useful data. Nonetheless, the pivotal challenge concerning the effective enhancement of precision for small bins (those intervals that are narrowly defined or contain a relatively small number of data points) within histograms has yet to receive adequate attention and in-depth investigation from experts. In standard DP histogram publishing, adding noise without regard for bin size can result in small data bins being disproportionately influenced by noise, potentially severely impairing the overall accuracy of the histogram. In response to this challenge, this paper introduces the SReB_GCA sanitization algorithm designed to enhance the accuracy of small bins in DP histograms. The SReB_GCA approach involves sorting the bins from smallest to largest and applying a greedy grouping strategy, with a predefined lower bound on the mean relative error required for a bin to be included in a group. Our theoretical analysis reveals that sorting bins in ascending order prior to grouping effectively prioritizes the accuracy of smaller bins. SReB_GCA ensures strict ϵ -DP compliance and strikes a careful balance between reconstruction error and noise error, thereby not only initially improving the accuracy of small bins but also approximately optimizing the mean relative error of the entire histogram. To validate the efficiency of our proposed SReB_GCA method, we conducted extensive experiments using four diverse datasets, including two real-life datasets and two synthetic ones. The experimental results, quantified by the Kullback–Leibler Divergence (KLD), show that the SReB_GCA algorithm achieves substantial performance enhancement compared to the baseline method (DP_BASE) and several other established approaches for differential privacy histogram publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is limited evidence to guide treatment for pediatric cervical spinal tuberculosis with kyphosis (PCSTK). This study retrospectively evaluates the safety, feasibility and efficacy of 360-degree arthrodesis combined with anterior debridement and decompression for treating PCSTK, while simultaneously emphasizing the role of posterior fixation for the correction and maintenance of the kyphosis angle. Methods: From May 2006 to December 2012, a total of 12 children with PCSTK underwent 360-degree cervical spinal arthrodesis followed by debridement of focus and decompression of the spinal cord. Data on the angle of kyphosis correction, visual analogue scale scores of pain, the American Spinal Injury Association scoring system of nerve function scores, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and body weight were collected at certain periods. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by statistical analysis based on collected data. Results: Average follow-up period was 34.3 ± 8.6 months. No postoperative complications related to the instrumentation occurred, and neurologic function improved in various degrees. Preoperative kyphosis angle was 41.4 ± 5.2°, and significantly decreased to -4.9 ± 4.9° after surgery. The correction of kyphosis and loss of correction were 47.1 ± 4.9° and 0.6 ± 1.4°, respectively. Average pretreatment ESR was 49.8 ± 13.2 mm/h, which normalized (8.5 ± 0.6 mm/h) within three months in all patients. Average preoperative visual analogue scale was 6.6 ± 1.6, which decreased to 2.3 ± 1.4 postoperatively and 0.3 ± 0.5 during the final follow-up. Mean preoperative body weight was 25.9 ± 5.1 kg, and body weight was 33.5 ± 4.8 kg at the third month of post-operation. Bone healing was achieved in all patients after a mean period of 5.4 months. Conclusions: 360-degree arthrodesis combined with anterior debridement and decompression is a safe and effective method for the treatment of PCSTK. For the correction and maintenance of the kyphosis angle, additional posterior fixation is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of posterior-only approach combining with puncture drainage under CT-guide in staged treatment of thoracic and lumbar spinal tuberculosis with flow injection abscess. We retrospectively analyzed 15 patients (came from 72 cases with thoracic and lumbar spinal tuberculosis) with flow injection abscesses underwent surgery from January 2007 to February 2009, and evaluated the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scoring system of nerve function, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), abscess absorption time and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), preoperatively and postoperatively. 15 patients were followed up for 13-37 months, no recurrence of tuberculosis, no fixation loosening and neurologic symptoms aggravated. The flow injection abscesses are absorbed within 3-6 months postoperative operation. In final follow-up, ESR went down to 5.2±2.1 mm/h from preoperative 79.6±14.8 mm/h, CRP decreased from preoperative 49.3±7.5 mg/L to 1.8±0.7 mg/L, ODI changed from 75.13±20.15 to 16.72±8.62, all of them changed significantly (P<0.05). In conclusions, one-stage posterior debridement, interbody fusion, pedicle screw fixation and two-stage CT-guided interventional therapy were safe and effective in treatment of the thoracic and lumbar spinal tuberculosis with flow injection abscess.

To introduce a modified method, namely coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization for the fabrication of distinct core/shell structured microspheres of four first-line ant-tuberculosis drugs with different characteristics in hydrophilic properties in one single step. In group B, we prepared microspheres in which the core and the shell contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, respectively. In contrast, in group C, the opposite is prepared. The detection of encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release test were performed to confirm the feasibility of the drug-loaded core/shell structured microspheres. Moreover, cell culture experiments and animal experiments have been carried out to evaluate the biological safety of different microspheres in cell growth, cell viability, osteogenesis and migration of BMSCs in vitro and the bone fusion in a bone deficits model in SD rat. Meanwhile, the distribution of drugs and liver and kidney toxicity were monitored. The release patterns of the two groups are significantly different. The release of drugs from Group B microspheres is rather sequential, whereas group C microspheres release drugs in a parallel (co-release) manner. And various concentrations of carrier materials produces core/shell structured microspheres with different appearance. Moreover, the biological safety of core/shell structured microspheres was testified to be satisfactory. These findings present the advantages and possible application of this kind of multi-drug release system in treating skeletal tuberculosis. Moreover, the characteristic sequential release of multi-drugs can be controlled and adjusted based on treatment need and used in treating other disorders.